SIERRA LEONE: The role of stigma in the association between war experiences & psychosocial adjustment among former child soldiers

 

This follow-up report builds on previous research findings on a group of former child soldiers previously affiliated to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone.  All participants were aged between 10 and 18 years of age at the time of their entry into this study, with an average age of abduction of 10.5 years, and a length of stay with the fighting forces of 4.68 years. Many youth reported experiences of wartime violence: 44 per cent of female participants and seven per cent of male participants had experienced rape, while 31 per cent of females and 35 per cent of males reported having been perpetrators of killing or injuring either a stranger or a loved one.  The data is longitudinal, with initial entry into the study in 2002 and follow-up two years later.

Prior published findings document higher levels of hostility and anxiety in former child soldiers who were rape survivors and found, among other things, an association between improved community acceptance and reduced depression.  In this second report, the authors revisit their original dataset to explore whether social stigma (perceived discrimination at the hands of the community) acts as a mediator between wartime experiences and longer term psychosocial outcomes.

Reported discrimination was common, with 73 per cent of participants reporting at least one incident of stigma due to their identification as former child soldiers – though, importantly, community discrimination was also reported to be influenced by socioeconomic status and gender.   Positive psychosocial outcome measures are also included by the authors, as well as potential "protective" factors such as family acceptance and continued schooling.  As the analyses unfold, the authors detail which aspects of mental health outcomes appear to result directly from prior wartime experiences, and which are influenced independently or jointly by experiences of social stigma.

The study included a rigorous, theoretically driven analysis, with findings demonstrating the importance of viewing psychosocial outcomes as dynamic and occurring over time.  These outcomes are influenced both by war related experiences and the post-conflict social context in which former child soldiers reintegrate into their families and communities.

pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/Betancourt_2010-Past_horrors_present_struggles(1).pdf

Web: 
http://www.child-soldiers.org/psycho-social/psychosocial

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